Review Naked Killer (1992): A Wong Jing written and produced cult classic. That should tell you enough!

genre: action, martial arts, thriller, girls with guns

Like many of Wong Jing produced films Naked Killer is a hybrid of different genres and therefore very hard to put into just one category. This film is classified as Category III in Hong Kong which means it is only deemed suited for persons aged 18 and above. Usually because of extreme depiction of sex, violence and other things that could be seen as offensive. Now I have seen a couple of Category III films and most of the time it's not as extreme as you might think.

This is also the case with Naked Killer. While it easily hints and sometimes blatantly is offensive it's not the kind that would disgust or shock you. The eroticism for example in this film is a joke and hardly arousing. Make no mistake. The women in this film are very sexy and attractive and they definitely bring out the diva in them. But in the sex scenes the same women fail to deliver what the film makers were going for. It's not really the fault of the women since they certainly do their best to bring their A game. I blame Wong Jing and his warped mind plus the inability for director Clarence Yiu-leung Fok to bring his own ideas and overrule Wong Jing whenever needed. How on Earth do you manage to mess up the love making scenes sensual and intimate with actresses as fine as Chingmy Yau and Carrie Ng? You really have to try your hardest to make them less appealing. (Now it could be that because of censorship scenes are heavily edited or cut so perhaps it's not entirely their fault also). Still a good film maker should be able to build up tension without having to resort to showing nudity and sexual depictions. And what about that one gross out scene that is supposed to be funny. You will know once you come across this scene. It's ludicrous and totally unnecessary. Although it could indicate the level of sophistication and maturity on part of Wong Jing and co. Why this is an issue? Because Naked Killer relies on the chemistry and interactions between the characters more so than having a compelling story. BTW if you were wondering there is no real story to speak of. You just go from event to another where the majority of the time you will be wondering why the characters act like they do. Very lazy writing to say the least.

However like with most Hong Kong flicks there are elements that redeem whatever flaw you can think of. First the action is without a doubt top notch. Extremely fast paced, well choreographed and very stylish. Then there is the Naked Killer universe where men are almost insignificant and objectified. As in they only are there to serve, be used as the women of this film see fit and killed if they have outlived their purpose. You can't but help to pitty the men and cheer for the strong women who feel and know they are superior in every way you can imagine. For this reason Naked Killer could be seen as a feminist movie at heart. A very confusing one though since Naked Killer obviously is very sexist also. Last but not least, the actors. If it weren't for them all of the events depicted in this film would be hard to swallow. Even Simon Yam who basically gets emasculated in a lot of scenes manages to stay cool and suave due to his charisma and professionalism. Same can be said about the main actresses who could have easily ruined the viewing experience had they approached this film the wrong way. Not that I would blame them since Wong Jing's writing is outrageous.

Naked Killer is an incredibly entertaining film if you are able to shut down your brain. None of what occurs should be taken seriously. It will make your head hurt otherwise. The action will be the main draw for most and that is easily the best this film has to offer. So do give this a shot.

Note that Naked Killer spun off two spiritual sequels named Naked Weapon and Naked Soldier. These might be sharing a theme or two but are somewhat different in tone and vibe.